Six years out and anemic again... keep up those vitamins people!

I have iron deficiency -- (ferritin dropped to 4 at one point) and have had infusions... however, my hematologist recommends the same thing: iron patches and Proferrin iron supplements.

Thanks Audrey for the reminder, I think its so important for newbies to hear this. I am a month shy of my 4 year surgiversay and I have taken my vitamins every day since day one. My health is way to important to me than to mess around. I just won't take any chances.

I don't absorb iron orally and I am still menstruating (quite heavy each month due to peri menopause) and so I use the Iron patch and get Iron Infusions. I hope you can start to feel better soon. I know I was a walking zombie when my Ferritin was a 4 last summer.

I second Kim on Proferrin (Heme iron), best out there.

Best of luck!

thank you Daisydoo! I am also perimenopausel and it's been an adventure, to say the least!

Audrey

Are the people that are having issues with anemia female AND pre-menopause, so still menstruating? On these forums when anemia is mentioned, gender and period status are not always clear to me. I just wonder what the incidence of risk is for menopausal women and men; do they need to take daily iron after RNY to minimize future problems?

I am 58 and post menopausal. At my 5 year post op checkup I was put on oral heme iron as my ferretin is beginning to drop. She wanted to wait and let it drop lower but agreed that it was fine to add extra iron. I have always been faithful to take my vitamins and all my other levels are great. I want to avoid infusions if I can. Always get the specific numbers and dont take your levels are fine as an answer.

Thanks for your response.

I am post menopausal and my iron dropped so low while I was taking supplements, that I had to have a blood transfusion and two rounds of ivy iron.

So, yes, even non menstruating ppl can have problems keeping it up.

Thanks for the info and guidance.

I am post menopausal. In 9 years post op I had to have 3 series of iron infusion. This year I think I will need another one. I don't absorb oral iron, or the little that I may be able to absorb, are not worth the side effects from oral iron (Cramps and pain) . My doc suspect I have some internal small leak, but in 9 years we can't find it.

Having surgeries to deal with hernia, plus PS over the years, further depleted my iron stores.

FYI- a lot of doc don't check ferritin, so often we don't know it is dropping until it is too late to even try to bring it up with oral iron.

I'm pre-menopause, but don't get a period because I have an IUD. I'm still anemic.

The ASMBS recommends iron supplements for everybody, regardless of menopausal status.

>> Total iron provided should be 45-60 mg via multivitamins and additional supplements. (Source)

>> Anemia without evidence of blood loss warrants evaluation of nutritional deficiencies as well as age appropriate causes during the late postoperative period. Iron status should be monitored in all bariatric surgery patients. Treatment regimens include oral ferrous sulfate, fumarate, or gluconate to provide up to 150-200 mg of elemental iron daily. Vitamin C supplementation may be added simultaneously to increase iron absorption. Intravenous iron infusion (preferably with ferric gluconate or sucrose) may be needed for patients with severe intolerance to oral iron or refractory deficiency due to severe iron malabsorption. (Same source)